St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-22
ATELEPHoNG CLAIMANT.
He is an Italian and Says His Pat-
ents Have Priority of Those
Granted to BeII

s1FaHteu 10 Belts
CHICAGO, Jan. 21.-The case of the
United States against the Bell Telephone
company to test the validity of the tele.
phone patent granted to Prof Bell is made
the reason of a publication here this after
noon, as to some of the points which will
be employed by the government counsel to
combat Prof. Bells claim to being the in
ventor of the telephone. The Evening
journal i'll outlining the evidence SAYS:
There is in the city to-day an aged Italian,
Antonio MGucci, who, with counsel, has
come West III the telephone interest which he
represents. Mr.. Meucci was seen by
Journal representative this afternoon ana
gave the details of his case which, while
limited at, have never been published before
Antonio Meucci is an aged man, with white
hair and nerveless hand. He uses very
little English, and conversed DUR
ing the interview in italian through
an interpreter. In his possession were certi-
fled papers from the patent office at washing
ton, and an abundance of alfidavits and esti-
mony dating from the year 1862 From the
story OF Meucci it appears that during the
year 1S49 he was living with his wife in the
city of Havana, He was director of mechan-
ism, while she was superintendent of the cos
tunes department of the Tacon opera house
During his leisure moments, and in the
mornings when unengaged, he had expert
mented with electricity and electrical imple-
ments. He had a theory that disease could
be cured by electricity and discovered as
well, and while pursuing the investigation of
the ideas he had determined to try
the effect on u friend. A wire and
battery were connected, there being
complete circuit. Each wire was connected
with copper plate which the Italian caused
the man to put into his mouth. Both men
were in different rooms and the shock
caused him to eXclaim when he put the cop
per plate into his mouth Meucci at the
other end of the room had the copper plate
between his teeth and heard the
sound, the connection being through
the medium of the teeth to
the auditory move. About May l, 1855, he
perfected paper cone and conversed though
very family, with persons across the street.
using in this instrument a membranous dia-
phraghm like that used in later years by the
Bell company. The history of the discovery
as set forth in the long interview and Meucci's
right to the claim of priority and
his attempts to secure his rights
through the long years Of extreme poverty
would form startling story itself, but when
reinforced by the later developments makes
it unimpeachable. In New York the aged in
ventor took his papers, specifications and
models to Mr. Grant. at that time the vice
president of the New York District
10 submit them to the electrician
expert of the company. This Mr.. G rant
promised to do, but kept delaying this for
nearly two years. In the meantime Meucci.
fearing OF losing his rights through Thomas
D. Stetson, patent attorney there, filed a
caveat for his invention Of a sound tele-
graph" and which caveat was granted Dec.
23 1871, five years before that of Graham
Bell.
The Journal then reprints the description
of Meucci's invention as filed in the patent
Office at Washington. which is of great
length. After describing his claims cover
ing the main points urged by Prof. Bell for
his patent Mr.. Meucci made the following
claim in 1872, which is now on file in the
patent office:
A continuous sound conductor, electrically
insulated; the invention adonted for tele-
graphing by sound or for conversation be-
tween distant parties electricaily insulated;
the employment of q sound conductor, which